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Supermarket Hero
'''Location: '''Stafford, Virginia '''Date: '''April 19, 1989 Story The Giant Food Store in the small town of Stafford, Virginia, was the largest supermarket in the area. On the morning of April 19, 1989, 54-year-old store greeter Milton Braxton was already hard at work. He was very beloved among fellow employees and customers, being a "goodwill ambassador" as both the first and last person the customers would see. There was a breakfast honoring him as Employee of the Month that day, but he chose to come to work as usual. 25-year-old Theresa Vowell and her friend, Linda Fisher, were just finishing their weekly grocery shopping. Theresa had a lot of items, but Linda only had a few, so they went separate ways and then Linda checked out. Theresa, who was four months pregnant with her third child, put her young daughter in her car with Linda, and they then drove to the loading zone to pick up Theresa's eight grocery bags from Milton. As they loaded the bags into the trunk, another car pulled up behind them with 60-year-old Martin Mellett and his 12-month-old granddaughter, Amanda Pettitt, inside. Linda turned to see Amanda running around in the front seat, and then climb into the driver's seat to attempt to drive the car forward. It hit Milton, who was standing between the two cars, and caught him between the bumpers. Theresa knew Milton's legs were broken, and he was so stunned that he couldn't talk, the intense pain showing in his eyes. Theresa was hysterical, her back and stomach tensed up, and she ran in the store to tell Customer Service that Milton had been hurt. A call was placed to Stafford 911 at 10:05am, and an ambulance was immediately dispatched. Store manager Tim Conklin rushed outside after being notified of the accident, where someone told him to get a blanket in case Milton went into shock. Theresa called her mother and told her what had happened, while feeling very bad cramps in her stomach and lower back. She was very nervous that the accident might have caused a miscarriage, and tried to comfort Milton, who said he couldn't really feel his legs. EMTs Bobby Talley, Lena Brenham, and John Peterson arrived moments later. Milton was laying on his side, and his leg bones, which had been broken in two, were separating, so the EMTs cut his pants leg to put the splints on. He was clearly in a lot of pain, but wasn't acting like it. When the splints were straightened, they pinched the muscles and caused Milton to be in even more pain, and Lena told him to squeeze her hand. As he was loaded in the ambulance, Theresa kissed him on his cheek as a way of thanking him for pushing her out of the way when he saw the car coming. He asked Tim to ride with him in the ambulance, and Tim told him to let his pain out all he wanted, but he wouldn't because he was quiet and easy-going, and didn't want how much pain he was in to be obvious. Subsequent sonograms by Theresa's obstetrician showed there to be nothing wrong with the baby, but if she had been hit by the car, it would have almost certainly caused a miscarriage. Both of Milton's legs were broken in the accident, and he spent two weeks recovering in the hospital. At the store, they set up a small box labeled "Milton's Mailbox", and many customers dropped cards in it every day. Eight months after the accident, Milton was still undergoing physical therapy, hoping he would soon be strong enough to return to work. His wife, Geneva, said she was not surprised after hearing how he had gone out of his way to help Theresa, and that it was typical of him to do such a thing. He said that when he saw the car coming, all he cared about was getting her out of the way, and that it was too late for him to do so. Theresa felt like Milton was her guardian angel, because had he not shoved her out of the way, her second daughter would almost certainly not have been born, and she wanted Milton to hold her and experience the joy of her just like her and her husband, Michael. On October 31, slightly more than six months after the accident, Holly Ann Vowell was born a healthy baby girl. Michael also felt strongly for Milton, saying that if it wasn't for his courage and his character, there was no way Holly would have been born. Theresa said he was one in a million since he loved people and always put others before himself. Michael said that Milton's act showed him there were still good and caring people in the world, and that he was one of them. Category:1989 Category:Virginia Category:Crush Injuries Category:Motor-Vehicle Accidents